The oil tycoon says windmills, natural gas — and even algae — are good investments Americans can make to safeguard our energy future

Q: Some scientists paint a rather bleak picture of our energy future, that it is a case of too little, too late. Even if we started building every wind, solar, algae and natural gas facility we could, it won’t keep pace with the demand from the U.S. and emerging powerhouse economies such as China and India. What do you think?

A: Hell, so let’s just give up then. But I’m not going to do that. We can solve the problem. It will take us a little while to get there, but you have to start somewhere.

The best time to have planted a tree was 20 years ago, but just in case you didn’t plant it, today is the next best time.

We need our leadership to explain it, and that hasn’t been done. But this president has the opportunity to be the first president in the history of our country to reduce dependency on foreign oil.

Q: If you hadn’t become a multibillionaire oil tycoon and hedge fund operator, what would you have liked to be?

A: I’d have liked to have been a professional basketball player. I wasn’t good enough to make the college team, but that is what I’d like to do.